My Australian East Coast Experience, from Rainforest to Reef.

Australia had been on my Bucket List for as long as I can remember. I had been to New Zealand as a kid with my parents back in the 90’s but was far too young to appreciate it back then, although the only thing etched on my mind was the sheer length of the flight!

It was really high cost and the long flight time that had held me off going to Australia up until this point, but with recent trips and journeys of mine getting further afield and more enjoyable, I felt this was the best time to do it!

I really wanted to make the most of my time in Australia and see as much of the Gold Coast as possible, so I opted for a small group trip with G Adventures, this has always worked really well for me on long-haul adventures.

My journey was to start in the North of Australia at Cairns and travel the entire length of the East Coast to Sydney in the South. Obviously one of the main reasons for going there was also to see one of the most stunning Natural Wonders of the World, The Great Barrier Reef!

This was to be a life changing adventure, yet it was well outside my comfort zone, especially such a huge trip on my own. But if not now, then when!

With a flight time between 25-30 hours to get to Australia, I was desperate to make this initial journey over as comfortable as possible. I could have gone through America, but I decided to take the Asian route and to break the flight up with a stopover at Singapore on the way over for four days instead, and I was NOT disappointed!

As it was my first time in Singapore, and I was lured in by the Luxurious ‘Once in a Lifetime’ iconic Hotel Marina Bay Sands. On arrival, and after a short transfer I arrived at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, I seriously felt like Royalty! This place really was more exceptional than I could ever have imagined! It was very costly, however it was worth the money alone for the views from the Rooftop Swimming Pool!

My stop over was only 4 days, but having planned what I was going to do whilst there, this was ample time to see everything I had intended to and that Singapore had to offer.

Day 1 >> Marina Bay Sands

I actually arrived very early on my first day, so at 6am I headed straight for the roof top swimming pool at Marina Bay Sands and what a view! My entire day was spent wondering around the hotel and making the most of what felt like a 7* experience.

I was also recommended by staff (who were also unbelievable) at the hotel that the ‘Garden Rhapsody’ which was a signature light and sound show of the Gardens by the Bay was a must see at night from the Rooftop, so that is where I spent the rest of the evening watching the most stunning light show I’ve ever seen !!

Day 2 >> Super Tree Grove

My 2nd day in Singapore was something that I was really looking forward to and that was the Supertree Grove. What a jaw dropping landmark! The Supertree Grove is a collection of large, tree-like structures located within Gardens by the Bay. Standing between 25 – 50m tall, they are covered in vertical gardens and designed to support sustainable functions such as solar energy collection and rainwater harvesting.

Day 3 >> Flower Dome & Cloud Forest

Day 3 in Singapore was an exciting and packed day! I started the day in the Flower Dome, a large climate-controlled bubble showcasing plant species from Mediterranean and semi-arid regions around the world, it was amazing! Next up and adjacent to the Flower Dome was the Cloud Forest, this place was mind-blowing! Starting the walk with a 35m indoor waterfall and moving around the stunning conservatory which had plenty of tropical plants and trees as well as Dinosaurs as part of a Jurassic World Exhibition. These 2 locations are just a MUST SEE if you are ever in Singapore.

My day moved on to several other key areas around Singapore, this started with a walk around the main Harbour area to the Merlion Fountain. The Merlion is an iconic Singapore landmark located at Merlion Park, featuring a half-lion, half-fish statue that symbolises the city’s origins as a fishing village and its name, “Singapura,” meaning Lion City.

I then went on to The Singapore Flyer that looks very similar to the London eye. The Singapore Flyer is a 165m tall observation wheel overlooking Marina Bay, offering panoramic views of the Singapore skyline and surrounding landmarks.

My final landmark for Day 3 was the Architectural Masterpiece, The ArtScience Museum. The ArtScience Museum is a lotus-shaped museum at Marina Bay Sands that hosts exhibitions combining art, science, technology and design. Loved this venue!

Day 4 >> Sentosa Island

My final full day in Singapore I thought I’d travel a little further afield and away from the main Gardens By the Bay area to Sentosa Island. Sentosa Island is a resort island south of mainland Singapore known for its beaches, theme parks, luxury hotels and attractions including Universal Studios Singapore and Siloso Beach

Rather than going all the way by uber, I decided to travel to Mount Faber and take the Cable Car over to the island and enjoyed visiting the Oceanarium, as well as having a go on the 2.6km Skyline Luge which was such a great day out!

After having spent a thoroughly enjoyable 4 days in Singapore, I was well rested and ready for part 2 of my flight to Australia. My destination and the start of my Australian Adventure was Cairns.

After a 7 hour flight I landed in Cairns and had a short transfer to my first Hotel which was the ‘Rydges Esplanade Resort Cairns‘, situated perfectly alongside the coastal promenade. Having landed late in the evening, I took an opportunity to have a stroll along the coast which was more of a mudflats landscape as opposed to scenic coastline, but the range of birds and wildlife was really impressive!

Day 6 >> Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

My second day in Cairns and I took a 30 min taxi to ‘The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway‘. The Skyrail is a 7.5km gondola experience that carried me high above the Barron Gorge National Park, part of Queensland’s Wet Tropics World Heritage region in Australia. The gondola started at the Smithfield terminal and travelled through the rainforest to the mountain village of Kuranda. There were several stops in between that allowed me to take a series of jungle hikes too.

Once I had arrived in Kuranda I visited the amazing Birdworld Kuranda. Birdworld replicates the natural habitats of almost 60 native and exotic species that roam the unique rainforest and you can navigate your way around the enclosures getting up close with some of the beautiful native birds such as the prehistoric looking Cassowary.

I then went on to The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, the largest butterfly flight aviary and exhibit in Australia, such an immersive experience and one I would thoroughly recommend!

Day 7 >> Green Island

My third day in Cairns on my own and I decided to travel a little further afield! I booked myself onto a half day trip to the Stunning ‘Green Island’. I took a 45min Boat trip to the Island that is situated 27km offshore from Cairns. The Island is a 6,000 year old coral cay and part of the iconic Great Barrier Reef. The island was absolutely idyllic and I decided to hire a Snorkel & Flippers to see if I could see any turtles!

I saw plenty of Fish and turtles from the Island and the beaches surrounding the Island were as good as any beach I have ever seen, Crystal Clear water and silky white sand. I had a fantastic half day, however I would recommend booking a whole day on the Island as I found I just did not have enough time to do the other activities I was looking forward to such as the glass bottomed Boat.

Day 8 >> The Great Barrier Reef

Even though I had snorkelled in The Great Barrier Reef at The Green Island, today was my final day before I met the tour group and I decided to do a Bucket List activity that I had wanted to do all my life and that was to take a flight over the Great Barrier Reef in a Helicopter!

In the next section of my Journey, I go into more depth on my experience on this Helicopter Flight, however I can honestly say it was a life changing moment for me! The sheer vastness of the Reef is one thing, but being able to actually see wildlife such as Dolphins and Turtles from above because the water was just so clear was mind-blowing!

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, stretching over 2,300km along the coast of Queensland and is home to thousands of marine species. It is also one of the main reasons I decided to come to Australia as one of my ‘Bucket List’ things were to see one of the most unbelievable Natural wonders of the World, The Reef.

I was lucky enough to see the Reef throughout my trip in Australia, however Cairns and Cape Tribulation along the North East Coast were really the Gateway to my The Great Barrier Reef experience.

My first view of the Great Barrier Reef from above was on my 4th day in Cairns and just before I started my trip with the small group I was travelling with.

I did plenty of research before arriving in Australia and found a great Helicopter Tour Company called Nautilus Aviation. I actually booked a 30min Reef flight, but luckily for me, my time was altered to join another group of 3 people which meant my trip had been upgraded to the 45min Reef & Rainforest Tour! I was so nervous as this was my first ever helicopter trip too, but what a time to start!

We all boarded and took off and straight out to sea, heading for our first stop Green Island from above, even as we headed over the sea you could easily see the turquoise Reef ahead and when we reached the Green Island it was more amazing than I could ever have imagined!

Our Tour from the Air continued along the coastline and the views above the reef were mesmerising and even better than you get to see in magazines! We could even make out the shadows of small turtles and dolphins against the light blue background of the reef.

I’ll never forget my first glimpse of The Great Barrier Reef that day and I just knew that if this was the calibre of my trip this early on, I was in for an absolute treat over the next 3 weeks!

Day 9 & 10 >> Cape Tribulation

After meeting up with the G Adventures Tour Group in the evening on Day 8, we departed Cairns the next morning, on Day 9 to head further North to Cape Tribulation.

Cape Tribulation is a unique place and one of the only locations on Earth where 2 UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites meet, its where the Daintree Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef.

My first night in Cape Tribulation was a stay at the amazing Cape Trib Beach House, which was literally a Jungle / Beach hut alongside the most idyllic Coastline you had ever see! The ironic thing was that up in Cape tribulation the Beaches are all like Paradise but you are told not to go anywhere near the water due to Sharks and Salt water Crocodiles!!

Day 10 was a packed day that consisted of a Hike in the Daintree Rainforest spotting plenty of exotic Jungle animals and birds, then a half days Boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef to go Snorkelling!

The Snorkelling was just surreal, we hopped from island to island and one stage the boat moored on an isolated coral cay an hour from shore. It was a sand bank in the middle of nowhere that allowed us to disembark onto the island. I flew my drone above the island and got some great shots, we also saw plenty of Blacktip Reef Sharks swimming right up to the shore as well!

My final evening in Cape Tribulation was a Night Walk around the Daintree Jungle with a guide. The Guide was an enthusiastic guy that was extremely experienced and had actually been part of the crew for the Australian I’m a Celebrity Get Me out of Here’ to consult and aid with the animals.

Day 11 & 12 >> Cape Trib to Whitesundays

Day 11 was a journey travelling back South again from Cape Tribulation to Cairns. Cairns was just really a stop off point to break up the loooooong journey down to Whitesundays.

On the way back from Cape Tribulation to Cairns we stopped off for a few hours and lunch at Port Douglas. Port Douglas is a small coastal town in Tropical North Queensland known for its easy-going pace and scenic setting.

Four Mile Beach runs in a long curve along the shoreline of Port Douglas, offering open stretches of sand and calm morning views, while the town centre is lined with independent shops, galleries and relaxed dining spots. It’s a destination that blends natural beauty with a comfortable, unhurried atmosphere, I loved this place!

Day 12 was the longest travel day on the trip so far at 640km, and it was a good 8-9 hours from Cairns to Airlie Beach. I have to say, I’m a great traveller, but this day was hard (even with stops).

The Good news was that on Day 12 and after a 9-hour Bus journey, we were at the Gateway to the iconic Whitsundays!

Day 13 >> Whitesundays

Apart from the Great Barrier Reef itself, Whitsundays was somewhere I had always heard of as being other worldly in terms of the sheer breathtaking landscapes and views.

The Whitsundays are a collection of 74 tropical islands off the coast of Queensland, set within the waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Known for clear turquoise seas and white silica-sand beaches, the region is especially famous for Whitehaven Beach and the shifting patterns of Hill Inlet.

Day 13 was a Full Day’s trip around the Whitsundays and it started in the morning down at the docks waiting for our boat. We left the harbour mid-morning on our tour boat and headed out to sea! The crystal clear water was mesmerising and we spotted plenty of dolphins and turtles along the way.

We stopped at several spots to admire the scenery and also it allowed us to get in some awesome snorkelling!

The highlight of the whole day had to be the Whitsundays Beach and View Point, it actually felt like we had been transported to a different planet, the pure white silica sand and shallow, crystal-clear turquoise waters, I had genuinely seen nothing like it!

Day 14 >> Brisbane Flight

We departed Arlie Beach and the Whitesundays on Day 14 to catch a short internal flight to Brisbane, then a 2-hour bus journey to Byron Bay.

Byron Bay was exactly as I imagined an Australian Beach to be, miles of white sand and crystal clear waters with waves lapping against the shore that were perfect for learning to surf!

Day 15 >> Byron Bay Surfing & Kayaking

Day 15 was an action packed day starting in the morning with a Kayaking trip around the coast of Byron Bay. The guy in charge was a typical Assie, always cracking jokes and making us feel welcome as we entered the water. We Kayaked for about 3-4km and saw many pods of dolphins as well as turtles popping up now and then to get some air. We also kayaked past Matt Damon’s Beachside Mansion, which was unbelievable!

After Kayaking, we grabbed some lunch before heading back to the Beach for our first Surf Lesson. It was such fun! We were all kitted out with our boards and ‘Stinger Suits’ that were jellyfish proof, then did a 15 min warm up and headed to catch up surf.

We were surfing for around 2 hours and it was exhausting but such great fun! I think everyone within our surf group managed to stand up on the boards for a good length of time, so we all left feeling a great sense of achievement!

In the evening and as the sunset in Byron Bay, I took a walk around the Coast to Fisherman’s Lookout, a renowned coastal look out where you can see Surfers, Dolphins and Sunsets to die for!

To get to Fisherman’s Lookout we had to walk through a dense cluster of Eucalyptus Trees where several families of Koalas are usually seen. Even though we were not so lucky with the Koala spotting, the watching Surfers as the Sunset took place was something I’ll remember forever.

Day 16 >> Byron Bay to Port Macquarie

After a couple of days in the beautiful Byron Bay, we headed further south to a coastal port called Port Macquarie. Port Macquarie is a laid-back coastal town on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, known for its beaches, coastal walk and resident koalas. We stayed at the El Motor Inn, a quaint hotel right on the coast, and allows us to have a great evening eating fish and chips watching the sun come down.

Day 19 >> Mrs Macquarie’s Chair

Driving from the Blue Mountains to Sydney was both exciting and sad, as it would be my final few days with the Tour Group that I had grown so very close to over the course of the few weeks spent in Australia. On Arriving at Sydney after a long drive, we stopped off at ‘Mrs Macquarie’s Chair’, a historic sandstone bench hand-carved by convicts in 1810 for Elizabeth Macquarie that overlooks Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. I just had to pinch myself that I was actually sitting on a bench looking at the iconic Sydney Harbour I had seen since I was a kid!

Day 20 >> Adrenaline City

Once we had familiarised ourselves with Sydney, I was able to take the public transport system on my own to and from our Hotel to the main City centre, it was all so easy to do and a delight to have a little bit of freedom to explore.

Day 20 however, was packed with Adrenaline activities, so starting off after a (very light), breakfast, I headed down to the Oz Jet Boat Experience within the Harbour. Upon having our safety brief and slipping into a life jacked, I was to be taken and shaken about for 30 minutes around the Harbour in one of the fastest, most nimble boats I had ever experienced! I would thoroughly recommend trying this if you are every in Sydney and have a spare hour, but I would advise bringing a spare set of clothes, I got DRENCHED!

After Lunch, the adrenaline did not stop there.. In the afternoon I had booked to do the ‘Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb‘. It was a packed 4 hours of Hiking up to the top of the Harbour Bridge after a lengthy Safety Talk. The views at the top were breathtaking!

Day 21 >> Sydney Opera House Tour

After completely depleting my adrenaline reserves on Day 20, I opted for a far more leisurely day today, I was booked in for a half days ‘Opera House Tour‘. The Tour started at 10am and lasted for an hour, but it was packed with such a rich tapestry of both History and Architectural facts. It was such a great hour packed with a thorough walk inside and outside of the Opera House and getting to see it in all its splendour with a tour guide that I could ask questions to was great.

I spent most of Day 21 perusing the many souvenir shops within Sydney and stocking up before the imminent trip home. In the evening however, I thought it would be a great idea to see some sort of performance at the Opera House and what a better way to spend the evening than the latest Australian Ballet Performance of PRISM. I have to say, I’m not a massive fan of things like this, but it I’m so glad I went to see this at such an iconic landmark.

Day 22 >> The Iconic Bondi Beach

Today was my final day in Australia and it was with a touch of wistfulness after having departed from the Tour Group that I had planned a walk along a stretch of Beach that came highly recommended. It was the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk.

I was not disappointed, as this walk was probably one of the nicest coastal walks I had ever been on! The Coastal walk is a 6km (one way) long boardwalk that hugs the clifftops and allows you to get some fantastic views of the coat. There are a number of dream beaches that you walk past along this beautiful stretch of coastline, such as the obvious Bondi Beach, but also Bronte Beach, Clovelly Beach, Gordons Bay and finally Coogee Beach.

ANIMALS ON THE LAND

I was just so lucky to see the sheer number of Animals throughout my trip along the East Coast of Australia! It was difficult some days to keep track of and record the names and types of animals I had seen. Some of the Animals on land I was lucky enough to see were:

• Kangaroos
• Koalas
• Monkeys
• Snakes
• Tree Frogs
• Wallabies
• Cassowaries

ANIMALS IN THE SEA

The sea and more importantly the Great Barrier Reef was the highlight of the entire trip and seeing the sheer abundance of sea life blew my mind, some of the most well known being:

• Dolphins
• Sea Turtles
• Salt Water Crocodiles
• Jellyfish
• Blacktip Reef Sharks
• A huge variety of Fish

ANIMALS IN THE AIR

I actually started my Aussie trip in Cairns and Day one of my first days was a visit to Birdworld Kuranda, this had a great variety of Birds that I enjoyed, but throughout the trip I was lucky enough to see a vast number of wild birds too, such as:

• Black Cockatoos
• Eclectus Parrots
• Fig Parrots
• Scaly-Breasted Lorikeets
• Blue and Gold Macaws
• Chattering Lorikeets
• Kukka Boroughs

MY FAVOURITE AUSSIE ANIMALS

I am an animal lover, so choosing my favourite animal is almost impossible, however I had to choose the Koala as one of my favourites, especially seen as we visited the Guulabaa Koala Sanctuary, Guulabaa meaning ‘place of koala’. Seeing the Koalas being nursed back to health after wildfires and accidents was one of my trip highlights.

Having said that I also loved seeing the largest native birds in Australia, the Cassowaries. These were truly prehistoric looking animals, and I was lucky enough to see some of these in the wild with chicks too which is rare.

Day 23 >> Australia to Bali

It was a sad Goodbye when I departed Sydney on Day 23, however it wasn’t all bad, as I was off for a week in Bali to break my trip up on the return journey.

After a 7 hour flight from Sydney to Bali I had an hours transfer via taxi to my Luxury ‘Kastara Resort and Spa‘ Hotel. This return leg of my journey was all about 2 things: 1. To relax after 3 weeks of intense travel the length of Australia and 2. To actually take the time to do Bali properly, as last time I came was back in 1994 with my family and I was far too young to appreciate it back then.

Day 24 & 25 >> Temples & Rice Terraces

I decided to start my Bali journey in Ubud, as it was one of the main gateways to a lot of things I wanted to do. Day 24 was a half-day tour seeing The Tirta Empul Temple, I hadn’t realised what a famous spot this was until I arrived, but it is the ‘instagramable’ Temple where people can pay their respects at the holy spring, by praying and immersing themselves in the natural fountains that are said to poses potent healing properties.

My Tour then went on to the Tegallalang Rice Terrace. With stunning dramatic, steep-valley views, this was such a scenic spot to see the traditional rice fields. I also got to cycle a bike on a tightrope over the fields about 50 metres up, which was an experience!

Finally I visited The Ulu Petanu Waterfall, a really nice Waterfall and Hike in the Jungle that felt like a little slice of Paradise!

Day 25 was something I was very much looking forward to and that was the sacred Ubud Monkey Forest! I do recall coming here back in 1914, but I vaguely remember it. I have to say though this was such a fantastic day! I spent an entire day walking around the huge Monkey Forest and was so glad I could return and do it properly, the Monkeys were so funny and literally rule the place!

Day 26 & 28 >> Penida Island

After 3 days in Ubud, I travelled to Sanur Beach Harbour to catch a 45min boat to Penida Island.

I was to stay in the idyllic Atalaya Villas Resort for 3 nights, the most gorgeous location with a view over the Jungle Valley below.

My 2 full says consisted of 2 full day tours, one of the west Coast of Penida Island and one of the East Coast of the Island. East Tour lasted for 8-9 hours but it was well worth it.

On the West Coast Tour I visited the Jaw Dropping Kelingking Beach as well as Crystal Bay Beach, Broken Beach, Angel Billabong Beach and The Octapus Queen Statue.

On the East Coast Tour I visited just as spectacular Diamond Beach, Atuh Beach, Tree Cliff House and the amazing Teletubbies Hills.

Day 29 & 30 >> Bali to UK

After having caught the boat back to Bali from Penida on Day 29, I travelled to Uluwatu to stay in the Yoga retreat getaway called Grün Uluwatu. My Final 2 days were spent relaxing at the retreat as well as my final trip to visit the HUGE GWK Statue, one of the largest statues in the world.

Australia was everything I could have ever imagined and more! I was extremely anxious about this trip as it was the furthest solo trip I had even managed, but it was definitely worth the wait (and the anxiety)..

It was definitely the right thing to do to break the journey up with Singapore and Bali, that was an incredibly long flight and without those 2 breaks it would have been a difficult trip to digest. Having said that and with the necessary planning, all flights were palatable and the airlines were comfortable with great service, so I got lucky!

I think my main take aways from Australia were that if you are going to travel that far (from the UK), it is well worth staying for enough time to fit everything in. I just could not have rushed this trip in Australia leaving me with regrets of things I did not have time to see or do. So lesson No.1 is to ‘Make sure you have enough Time to do everything you want to’ and for that you need to spend some time planning and doing some research on what it is you actually want to see and do when you get there, even to the extent of pre-booking activities to prevent disappointment after travelling all of that distance.

I was blown away by the landscapes and variety of native animals that Australia had to offer and even, it was worth it just for these two things, but the warmth and genuinely welcoming approach that the Australian people have was unmatched in any of my previous travel’s. I’d love to go back one day!

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